#Review: Birdsong in the Night by Sunil Gangopadhyay

Birdsong in the Night and Other Stories
Author: Sunil Gangopadhyay
Translated by: Chitrita Banerji
Publisher: Aleph Book Company
Rating: 4/5

Sunil Gangopadhyay’s Birdsong in the Night and Other Stories is the kind of collection that lingers quietly, almost insistently, in the mind. Set largely in 1970s Bengal—a time of political unrest and social transition—the stories move between drought-stricken landscapes, cramped city rooms, and deeply private emotional spaces. Yet what binds them is not geography but a steady, compassionate gaze on human fragility.

The characters are drawn with remarkable restraint. Whether it is a journalist numbed by moral fatigue in “The Drought,” a young man rebelling against a corrupt system in “Three Men,” or women negotiating silence, loss, and unspoken longing, each figure feels startlingly real. Gangopadhyay resists melodrama; instead, he allows discomfort and ambiguity to do the heavy lifting. His people are flawed, sometimes passive, often conflicted—but always recognizably human.

The prose, rendered into English with elegance by Chitrita Banerji, carries a quiet lyricism. There is a measured rhythm to the storytelling—reflective rather than dramatic—which may feel slow to readers expecting plot-driven momentum. Yet that very deliberateness deepens the emotional impact.

The collection explores themes of trauma, dignity, political corruption, desire, memory, and resilience. Decades later, these concerns remain strikingly relevant. In an era still grappling with inequality and moral uncertainty, these stories feel less historical and more hauntingly contemporary.

This is not a loud book, but it is a powerful one. It asks for patience and rewards it generously.

Find the book here.